The Price We'd Pay
by AsYouAre
Summary: The events following the ball in Camelot. Contains 5x02 spoilers.


She's fretting. He can tell by the slickness of her palms and the vibration of their arms as they walk hand in hand back to their new bedchambers that Arthur has so kindly bestowed upon them. Robin has to admit having the saviour as your true love, certainly has its perks.

Saviour.

Oh, the pride that swells within him when he thinks about it. His Regina, former evil queen and newly reformed hero, has now been deemed the saviour. And he couldn't be happier or prouder of her than he is in this moment. He knew of the internal struggle that she'd been wrought with for nearly her entire life—the struggle between the gnawing temptation of her darkest tendencies and the nagging necessity to portray the light from deep within, which had been lying dormant, just waiting to shine out for the whole world to see.

Now, that light has finally conquered, shining out to be a beacon to others and he's almost a bit jealous. He rather liked having those sacred moments with her where he was able to view that light purely for his own audience and the two of them kindling it and relishing in its warmth together. But now, he must share that light with the whole world.

All in all, though, he doesn't mind in the slightest because he wants the world to see what he sees everyday; he wants them all to see how special she is and how beautiful and captivating her light truly is. She's worn a façade of anger and resentment too long and its time that the purity in her heart be known to all because there is no greater blessing in Robin Hood's mind, than being exposed to her light.

But, perhaps, it is not the others that he should be concerned with when it comes to Regina being the saviour. As he looks over at her to make this all real and to ground himself to the fact that he and Regina are finally united, that all the love he ever needed that had been culminated in this woman was finally beside him, he sees anguish and fear. He might've been able to allow himself to be overcome with the love rushing through his veins, except they suddenly feel that they've been rinsed thoroughly in cold water.

Her eyes are far more panicked than when they last left Roland and Henry in their bedroom.

His voice doesn't reach above a whisper as they trek through the corridors, but his worry is ever clear. "What is it?"

Her voice is even quieter and her answer even simpler. "I can't."

She's afraid to be the saviour, he understands and he had an inkling that this would happen. This is a big leap for her. She's gone through a whole evolution, a complete 360 of herself, and now that she's touched back with the girl she used to be before the Evil Queen, she's being pushed even farther into herodom as _the_ hero. Anyone would be frightened. He tells her all this, too, soothes her and promises that her fears are not unfounded. She just needs time.

"It's not just being the saviour, though," she answers dejectedly, peering hard into the flame of a torch farther down the corridor, actively avoiding Robin's line of sight.

Robin stops walking, lightly tugging Regina backwards through the link in their hands, as she tries to keep moving. She shoots him a look, demanding that they press forward but he can't leave her in such a state, especially without knowing, at the very least what is troubling her so. "Then what is it, my love?"

She takes a deep breath and finally meets his gaze with her own, "It's the price—the one that comes with being the saviour."

His intuition makes its way through emerging, with him stepping towards her and embracing her tightly. "Regina, I'm safe. I'm _alive_. You saved me… isn't that the whole point?"

"Emma saved you," she retorts.

"She healed me, and yes, I will be forever in her debt but, Regina, it was you who saved my life. You're the one who had to compromise to save me."

"I didn't compromise, I used the Dark One's power to my benefit."

"Has no hero used the Dark One to their benefit?" he tries. "I dunno how deeply I would consider myself a hero, but I would like to believe that wholly I have lived to a standard of goodness. And I used the Dark One to my benefit. Had I not stolen that wand, I wouldn't have been able to save Marian and I wouldn't have Roland. You of all people know that magic isn't cut and dried. There are many caveats in the realm of magic. You just have to be sure that you pay the price and not anyone else."

"And if the price is my loved ones?" she volleys back, voice rising, as well as the pitch.

He takes a step away to take in her entire visage, looking her square in the eye. "Then we work together to find a solution, like we did tonight."

"There's still a price to pay. All magic comes with a price."

"Then we'll find a solution for that, too. Regina, I'm not leaving you alone in this. I might be in danger, but so are you and I will protect you and support you until my dying breath. We're in this together, no matter what."

"I can't lose you."

Her voice trembles and there are tears in her eyes, enough to wash Robin away forever but he cannot just walk away, he can't leave her alone in this. The most unbearable pain he ever has to experience is remembering that he watched her die. And it replays on a constant loop, causing the pit of his stomach to churn violently and the hairs on the back of his neck to stand.

He can't lose her either.

"You won't," he swears.

"It's not that simple, and you know it."

"No," he rebuts firmly, still holding a steady gaze upon her. "It _is_ that simple. I am never going anywhere without you. I can't lose you either, Regina, and I have to be sure that I don't. And I have to make sure that you have support every step of the way. I'm here for you. I am always here for you." He settles his forehead on hers.

She doesn't say anything but just drops her gaze, trying to blink away the stubborn tears.

He chooses to fill the silence. "Now," he drops to a deep timbre of his voice and advances towards her, though the space between them is scant as it is. "How about we show each other _how much_ we don't want to lose the other, hm?"

He doesn't even get an answer from her before he has her pressed to the wall and her lips are hot and needy against his, her tongue not even allowing for an ease into the kiss before it is tangling with his own, lapping at it and unwilling to relinquish any control.

It doesn't take a second thought to lift her so that her legs can hitch themselves securely around his waist and their hips can touch to give the friction that they both desperately need. Though, it appears to be a bit more of a challenge than he'd anticipated because suddenly there's dress fabric flinging into both their faces, ceasing the kisses and poking Robin in the eye.

So he tries a different approach, slipping his hands under her dress and settling them on her waist but not before his hand slid a bit further towards the warm core of her body, pressing his fingers into her damp underwear and smirking right at her, that smirk, which was even further warranted when her breath hitches at the touch.

When she composes herself, she asks, "What are you doing?"

"The dress has to come off." He tugs up the dress to emphasize his statement.

She swats his hands down. "Stop, someone is going to come down here."

"Well, as long as two of those people are you and I, who cares?" He grins mischievously and leans in for another kiss. It's unlike him but the ambiance of Camelot and near death has gotten him quite randy.

"Well, I will magic us back to our quarters then."

His lips fall to her clavicle, "You don't want to do something a little risqué, Your Majesty?"

She laughs ever so slightly and it's like music to his ears. "Not in a hallway of a castle that is not mine."

"But you're the saviour. You can do anything."

"Shut up." She slaps at his shoulder with one hand, while the other cups his chin and brings his mouth back to hers, tongue tugging his between her teeth and then congealing once again with her own.

He knows she's about to magic them away, which is why he pulls back, declaring for her to wait, and she heeds his request, hand lifted in midair and wrist pause mid-flick.

"Just a little bit of fun. Don't worry, I won't get you in too much trouble madam saviour." He winks and he knows by the glint in her eye that she is conceding permitting him to draw his hand back to the underside of her dress. Her own hand finds its way beneath, guiding his straight to the inside of her panties. Together, their hands find her clit and press firmly there and she, regretfully he's sure, moans aloud at the sensation.

Her hand then leaves his, certain that he can manage well enough on his own, which he can thank you very much, and settles on the bulge that his straining against his own very nice trousers. He grunts in between her breasts where his mouth has now found itself and she whispers something about it only being fair.

He won't be able to stand this, he knows, but he's bloody well going to try. But gods, just he feeling of her dexterous hand trailing up his cock, is enough to nearly drive him mad. He can already feel the sweat beginning to percolate on the back of his neck.

It's visceral the way his fingers find her entrance because his mind is drunk on sex and not even thinking for him. He slips one in, almost immediately followed by another. It's an awkward angle for the both of them. His hand will surely tire in the position and he knows how much she struggles getting off when she is standing up, but they're doing this.

He can tell how hard she's stifling any sound by the grip on his scalp and he's going to take it as an indicator that he's doing something right. He does pick up the pace a bit, thrusting his fingers just a little faster and the heel of his palms slapping against her clit just a bit harder.

Her own strokes have even become rougher and he's just about ready to come undone right there in his trousers.

He tries to remain distracted, though, focusing on anything other than her creamy perfect skin fusing with his rough calloused hands or her perfect breasts pillowing our of the top of her dress, just prompting his mouth to taste them. And he gives into that temptation, placing his mouth on one of her breasts and sucks hard, and then only harder when she throws her head backward and cries out (though, short as it is because she continues to try and not be heard).

"Robin," she croaks. "We can't—we've got to—we need—"

But it's useless as he feels her clench around his finger and her thighs begin to quake against his. He doesn't capitulate and only drives into her faster, pumping with a ferocity, which probably reflects his own need, but right now his concern is the woman who's currently coming on his fingers, while she's babbling something along the lines of, "Robin, oh god, I—Robin, please- _oh my god_." And just like that she releases.

He lets her come down just a bit from her high before leaning in and telling her soothingly, "Now, if you please m'lady, get us out of here so I can make a saviour out of you yet… or at least have you begging for one."

He doesn't even get to blink before they're in their bedchambers and Regina is earnestly clawing at his tunic and cloak, ripping it off of his arms and tugging next at his shirt.

When it's off, her hands immediately travel down to where he'd been "fatally" wounded, but his hand catches her and the other grabs it's respective partner and he flattens out her palms, placing then on his bare breast muscles and sliding them upward to his shoulders then around his neck. Her arms point his neck downward, causing him to lean forward, breathing her in for a beat and then pressing his lips fervently to hers.

And it unwinds like that, starting with lips pressed hot and flustered together to teeth nipping bottom lips and tongues jousting with one another. His hands are trying to find any way to get her easily out of the dress but it's useless and she knows it, too, so she lifts her hand and magicks away the blasted dress. Her corset, however, remained.

"You gotta work for it, thief," she cocks a brow up.

"Oh, with pleasure," he teases. "Turn around."

She does as she's told and Robin gets straight to work, untying the first loop of her corset then placing a kiss on the bare skin that now makes its appearance. As he unties the next one, he breathes softly, "Touch yourself, lovely."

She, again, does as he tells her, while he follows through with his pattern of untying a string and kissing down her spine, her moans cheering him on as they go.

When he gets near the bottom, he turns her back around, tears her panties down her leg and then crashes her lips into his, once again, all in one fell swoop. Meanwhile, his hands blindly finish their job on her corset.

As he's undoing the final string, she's found a new hobby in taking off his trousers and underwear, until they're both standing naked in front of one another. He takes a brief pause and admires the dark pink hues of her nipples pebbling against the openness but then his mouth takes over, all but consuming her right breast while his hand kneads the other one carefully.

Collectively, they manage to stay in roughly the same position as they collapse onto the bed, although, his left hand, finds a place, massaging her clit.

"Someone's excited," he jests, finger trailing through the wetness of her sex.

"Yes, someone is," she returns, her hand filing down to his cock and giving it one good hard stroke.

"Well, I shant keep a lady waiting much longer. That is," he leans back onto her breast, "unless she wants me too." His tongue flits quickly several times over her nipple.

"Are you aiming to see the saviour or the Evil Queen?"

He chuckles, placing each elbow on either side of her head and shimmying upward until they're face to face. Robin places a gentle kiss on her nose before swallowing her lips yet again, only to meet with Regina's chin as she reacts to him burying himself inside of her, a moan filling up more than the space between them now that they're alone in their own room.

He remains like that, just their bodies connected together. It doesn't take Regina long, though, to break the moment, attempting to unite her hips with his. He takes the cue, starting a painstakingly slow rhythm, pulling out nearly all the way, then slowing meeting Regina's hips. He knows it's a mistake because it'll only push him closer to the brink and desperate to speed up soon.

" _Mmmph_ ," she hums. "This—you— _mm_ , so good."

It only encourages him to become more enthusiastic in his movements and Regina gives him a positive reception.

"Robin, I— _uhn_ —thank you for— _oh uhhhn_ —saving me tonight," she manages to strain out.

"Am I your saviour, then?" he grins stupidly at her.

"It's… a tough job, I don't think you," she swallows, "could handle it."

His hands rest on the gooseflesh of her forearms to steady himself as he picks up the pace a bit more. Gods, he won't be able to handle much more, especially when he takes a good, solid, long look at her. She's so stunning; sweat slicked hair and runny makeup and all. He loves her so much, he can barely contain it and he wants nothing more than to spend the rest of his days proving that to her.

"You're probably right," he grunts. "I think I'll leave it to the real deal."

She rolls her eyes, "I'm not the real deal. I'm just a stand in."

He doesn't miss a beat. "No, you are the real deal and you're going to save everyone and they're all going to support you and cherish you and thank you for all the goodness you've done for them."

"All that matters is that you're by my side if that happens."

"I promise," he confirms wholeheartedly.

"Good, now why don't you go ahead and give your repayment to the saviour ahead of time?"

His hips automatically buck faster against her. He groans out, "I do owe her a very large debt."

"That— _oh_ —you do, thief," she drawls.

"You shouldn't talk to me like that, I'm with the saviour, now."

Her laugh is cut off by another cry of ecstasy, her hips now rutting hard up into his. "Fuck! Robin!"

He feels himself twitch; he'll be ready to go any moment now. He knows how much Regina loves the strumming of his fingers relentlessly against her clit and he knows that's his best option to get her to where he his. And he's even more certain, when she clenches hard around him and pounds against him harder and more fervent than ever.

He leans down, pressing his lips right onto her ear, whispering, "You feel so amazing. Come for me, Regina. Please. Come for me, come on my cock, come." He can't hold himself much longer.

He puts a kiss on her neck just below her ear and then he feels her muscles give way to the orgasm undulating through her, pulling him in and taking him with her to a euphoric state.

He empties himself within her, lingering for just a moment before slipping out of her and collapsing onto the bed. They eventually find themselves in a heap of limbs and heavy breathing after coming back down to earth.

"Well, I'm rather fond of this saviour business, if this is what I'll get from now on," he pants. "Or must I have a near death experience for such a thing?"

"That depends, is that a price you'd be willing to pay?" she smirks.

Oh, that is a price he's sure they'd both be willing to pay.


End file.
